sorry but this is way off topic

SmokeyPitt

The only thing that really makes sense to me is @Sardonicus' signature. 

"Too bad all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and barbecuing."     

 - George Burns

nolaegghead

@tarheelmatt Given the short notice, I think they got them out as fast as they could.  You can't just snap your fingers and they materialize instantly. 

I think we need to start fixing the problems that Baltimore has, and that would be a more constructive discussion.  We're talking about how to deal with symptoms and that's not a long range strategy.  Most cities have SOPs to deal with civil unrest.  If those were or weren't followed, I don't know.  I don't see anything egregious going on with the response.  I think the city and citizens need to start working on building trust if they're going to have a good community. 

Sardonicus

nolaegghead said:

@tarheelmatt Given the short notice, I think they got them out as fast as they could.  You can't just snap your fingers and they materialize instantly. 

I think we need to start fixing the problems that Baltimore has, and that would be a more constructive discussion.  . . . 

I don't disagree - not at all - but I hasten to add that Baltimore does not stand alone in its danger from this kind of response.

Don't worry, though . . .

We're safe, sitting beside our $1,000+  grills, making smug comments about slavery, and spouting platitudes about character overcoming consequence.

For now. 

NPHuskerFL

It made me happy to see the Mother go grab up her hooligan.  Rubber bullets & teargas ain't got nothing on MaMa. Perhaps good parenting would remove most of the problems we are seeing here and elsewhere. Don't start none...won't be none. The buck stops with good parents. Period. 

tarheelmatt

nolaegghead said:

@tarheelmatt Given the short notice, I think they got them out as fast as they could.  You can't just snap your fingers and they materialize instantly. 

I think we need to start fixing the problems that Baltimore has, and that would be a more constructive discussion.  We're talking about how to deal with symptoms and that's not a long range strategy.  Most cities have SOPs to deal with civil unrest.  If those were or weren't followed, I don't know.  I don't see anything egregious going on with the response.  I think the city and citizens need to start working on building trust if they're going to have a good community. 

Agree, but the problem isn't Baltimore here.  A lot of society is the blame too.  It's a ticking time bomb now for every city that has some type of situation that involves race of any type.  

GATraveller

Sardonicus said:

GATraveller said:

But there was slavery......

Good point.  They should just get over it, right? 

After all, that ended 150 years ago.

And that little Jim Crow hiccup.  Shouldn't they just suck it up? 

After all, that ended 50 years ago.

After all, since racism ended in January, 2009

. . . all they need do is grab their boot straps and PULL!

It's so simple!

Never said it was simple but what in life worth having is? 

tarheelmatt

Has it been disclosed how many fatalities (if any) were the result of these riots?  

NPHuskerFL

@Sardonicus Yes it is that simple. Parents parenting or the lack thereof has a lot to do with it. Sell drugs, rob, murder, rape, b&e, etc and your gonna have a bad day regardless of race. We as parents are (or least we should be) trying to raise productive members of society not the next America's Most Wanted. 

Sardonicus

NPHuskerFL said:

@Sardonicus Yes it is that simple. Parents parenting or the lack thereof has a lot to do with it. Sell drugs, rob, murder, rape, b&e, etc and your gonna have a bad day regardless of race. We as parents are (or least we should be) trying to raise productive members of society not the next America's Most Wanted. 

Oh, okay. 

fishlessman

why dont the projects ever burn down i would start there.

nolaegghead

fishlessman said:

why dont the projects ever burn down i would start there.

Like this?  http://theweek.com/speedreads/551975/fire-baltimore-engulfs-senior-housing-community-center-under-construction

NPHuskerFL

@Sardonicus sarcasm?  Do you seriously condone this stuff?  Would you allow your own child to behave this way w/out consequence?  

GATraveller

nolaegghead said:

fishlessman said:

why dont the projects ever burn down i would start there.

Like this?  http://theweek.com/speedreads/551975/fire-baltimore-engulfs-senior-housing-community-center-under-construction

Nope.

HendersonTRKing

I'm on the forum for the BBQ, not Topics Of The Day, but there's so much I agree with here, I'm compelled so say a little something.  

First, can we all acknowledge that we, collectively and no matter where we live, are feeling the effects of an epidemic for which no one has any good answers or solutions?  Certainly not the Pols, who are more polarized and more invested in their own futures and re-elections than the constituents they are elected to serve.  Bleak, but true.   

Riots and the like are a symptom, not a cause.  Lack of opportunity has been with us in the inner cities for decades.  What's new is the velocity of the growth of income disparity and the overarching lack of political will (or will of the citizenry, sadly enough) to do anything about either opportunity or disparity.

The police can't be expected to solve the intractable problems that cause unrest in our urban and ex-urban centers.  They've got shovels at the end of the parade -- and guns and the ability to use force, sometimes deadly, to protect themselves and others from threats that are real, perceived, or entirely imagined.

What's going on in Baltimore isn't the product of the Mayor's poorly-chosen words.  It's years of neglect, deprivation, lack of hope all stacked up like a pile of lump with some oil soaked paper towels in a match factory.  One spark -- legitimate questions about police procedure leading to the death of yet another human being -- and you get a conflagration.  

The real question (at least to me) is what are we doing about it -- as a society, as individuals, as eggers?  To steal and twist the words of the immortal Chico Esquela, the status quo has been berry, berry good to me.  That doesn't mean that it's right or that things don't need to change, and fast, before we are living in a society that we don't recognize.  Or if we do recognize it, the image isn't pretty.

For me, I'm going to think about how I can work to make things better for all, and try to do something positive about it.  The alternative is to be forever devastated.

Egg on, My Friends.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. 

cazzy

NPHuskerFL said:

It made me happy to see the Mother go grab up her hooligan.  Rubber bullets & teargas ain't got nothing on MaMa. Perhaps good parenting would remove most of the problems we are seeing here and elsewhere. Don't start none...won't be none. The buck stops with good parents. Period. 

NPHuskerFL said:

@Sardonicus Yes it is that simple. Parents parenting or the lack thereof has a lot to do with it. Sell drugs, rob, murder, rape, b&e, etc and your gonna have a bad day regardless of race. We as parents are (or least we should be) trying to raise productive members of society not the next America's Most Wanted. 

Do you think mom you praised raised her son to throw rocks at cops? Based on her reaction, she sure didn't.  Parents can only do so much and children often make bad decisions, even when they come from a great household.  Do you think every person rioting was a victim of bad parenting?  I don't think so.  As parents, you lead by example and show your children right from wrong.  It starts early on and as proactive as you can be, most learning experiences for them happen when they make mistakes.

Eggcelsior

NPHuskerFL said:

Agree all is replaceable except for lives. However, why destroy people's livelihood that had nothing to do with the matter at hand in which they're rioting over. There are more constructive and positive ways to get resolve.

This is true! The rioters have nothing to do with protest except as a guise to do stupid ****. It's young people who don't know better.

henapple

Sit down @nolaegghead. ..I don't want you to faint.
I hate the pull yourself up-boot strap thing. Imagine living in a ghetto and the obstacles these kids and people face. Violence, drugs, unstable home. The same goes for the kid living in a trailer in a hick town where your dad is hooked on meth, is abusive and your mom is a drunk. Middle class kids can also experience the same. I've seen kids with no direction get hooked on the medicine cabinet trying to deal with their home life. It's tough when you have no hope. Looking at it like that it's hard not to have empathy. 

Nola, here's where I'll lose you

Two huge problems I see that could help. A loving, strong father or father figure. Teach boys to be men. Teach girls their self worth isnt between their legs.
Christians are the other. Instead of million dollar steeples, campuses 300k pipe organ and statues ...why not take that money and actually do what Christ said to do. Quit bitching about gay marriage and Obama and get into the community. Not to convert but to simply love. 

Off the soapbox 

Sardonicus

PHuskerFL said:

@Sardonicus sarcasm?  Do you seriously condone this stuff?  Would you allow your own child to behave this way w/out consequence?  

What "stuff" did you infer that I "condone"? 

And how, specifically, do I condone it? 

(Feel free - of course - to post links, quotes, whatever.)

GATraveller

Eggcelsior said:

NPHuskerFL said:

Agree all is replaceable except for lives. However, why destroy people's livelihood that had nothing to do with the matter at hand in which they're rioting over. There are more constructive and positive ways to get resolve.

This is true! The rioters have nothing to do with protest except as a guise to do stupid ****. It's young people who don't know better.

It's a stretch to say they don't know better.  More like they don't respect anything or anyone, much less themselves, because they think no one cares.  That's where we've dropped the ball.  Private industry and the church should be doing more in local communities to help improve self worth by providing marketable skills instead of the government providing handouts.  

henapple

nolaegghead

@henapple - I agree with you there.

nolaegghead

@henapple Congrats on 14k posts. 

Acn

@henapple - great point, reminds me of the line always attributed to Ghandi "Your Christ, I like him very much, but I do not think your Christians are very much like your Christ."

Eggcelsior

@GATraveller It is though. The drama yesterday was started by school kids.The area it started in is a collection point for a few middle and high schools that have school buses drop off and city buses/parents pick-up. The "purge" rumor went around so a bunch of people showed up and Groupthink took over. This is no different than rioting after a sporting event, only the optics are changed.

DoubleEgger

Here's the new Devastated thread. 

Sardonicus

Eggcelsior said:

. . . only the optics are changed.

Hah!  You nailed that like a Travis brisket! 

NPHuskerFL

@cazzy  I never said the teens etc didn't have freewill.  NO I don't believe the Mother that grabbed up her Son "taught" him this behavior (nor did I imply it).  I'm simply saying if you, as a parent, aren't paying attention to what your kid is into that's a problem too. Don't get it twisted man. 

henapple

Interesting. .... http://www.mrctv.org/blog/nfl-players-faith-inspired-facebook-post-about-riots-baltimore-goes-mega-viral

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

fishlessman said:

why dont the projects ever burn down i would start there.

Like this?  http://theweek.com/speedreads/551975/fire-baltimore-engulfs-senior-housing-community-center-under-construction

thats senior housing and thats a shame, i believe in senior housing and we have some really nice places up here for that. we also mandate some new apartment buildings to have a mix of high income to low income, not a perfect scenario but much better than the no income projects nearby where the police backups have backups

Sardonicus

GATraveller said:

Never said it was simple but what in life worth having is? 

  You win.

Stark reality loses to time-worn platitudes every time!